Known for his role as Don Draper, Hamm is starring in an MLB-themed movie

Jon Hamm is a wanted man on the set of Million Dollar Arm, the feel-good baseball movie that’s being filmed at the Georgia Tech baseball field on a glorious cloud-free Friday afternoon just outside downtown Atlanta.

After an introduction—we shake hands and I tell him I’m from St. Louis, too (common ground never hurts), and he quickly asks what high school I went to, as is the almost-mandatory opening question for those of us from the Gateway City—we sit down in the stands, but almost immediately, he’s pulled into an impromptu cast photo. When that’s done (and after he clears out the area to get it quiet, which was nice of him), I ask a few questions about the movie. But then he’s called back onto the field, where filming is set to resume. Lead actors have few on-set moments to themselves. He promises to return.

(Oh, and Hamm did clear the stands. Here is the soundbite to prove it. )

(What a swell guy. )

Million Dollar Arm is the true story of two kids from India, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, who won a television contest as the hardest throwers in their country, and their journey to the United States to become professional baseball players. Hamm plays J.B. Bernstein, the sports agent who came up with the whole idea, made the reality show in India happen, and then housed Singh and Patel as they worked with pitching coach Tom House (played by Bill Paxton) on the Southern California campus.

And that’s where we are supposed to be, at the USC baseball field. Filming in Atlanta, though, was more cost-efficient, so the Georgia Tech signs have been covered up and the signage in the stadium—right down to the concession stand—trumpets the Trojans. The scoreboard is even topped with “Dedeaux Field” after famed USC baseball coach Rod Dedeaux. In a wonderful coincidence, even the weather has a very Southern California feel.

On this day, everyone is here. The real Singh and Patel are on set together for the first time—filming just moved to Atlanta after more than a month in India—and the real Bernstein is there, too, doing interviews and walking around with a big smile on his face.

And, as promised, Hamm returns. This time, with a scene involving only the actors playing Singh and Patel (Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal), the star of the hit show Mad Men actually has time to sit in the shade and talk, about a wide variety of topics.

SPORTING NEWS: This movie is based on a pretty cool story, isn’t it?

HAMM: It’s a great story, and it’s a true story. The reason I was attracted to doing the story is it’s a good old-fashioned coming of age father/son type of story, even though there are no fathers and no sons, really. It’s just a nice story, about hard work, and coming up with a big idea and seeing it through. The fact that it worked out for these guys is a testament to not only the guy with the big idea, but also the work ethic of these two. They were just willing to apply themselves and commit to the program and maximize the opportunity.

SN: I’m curious. Your rise as an actor happened pretty quickly with Mad Men. And even though it’s a completely different situation, their rise as baseball players happened very quickly with the reality show. Do you see any parallels there?

HAMM: Yeah, sure. Nothing in this world happens without a fair amount of luck. Then, of course, the corollary to that is you make your own luck. It’s a combination of the two, and finding the right balance between those two, and waiting around for it, but putting yourself in the right position for when the luck happens. I’d auditioned for Don Draper six or seven times, and any one of those times I could have failed, but I was prepared enough and ready enough, and it’s the same thing with these guys. They got ready and were able to really capitalize on it.

SN: I spent time earlier today talking with J.B., and you can tell this experience, helping Rinku and Dinesh really changed him, can’t you?

From left, Dinesh Patel, J.B. Bernstein and Rinku Singh are the real-life people portrayed in Million Dollar Arm. (Ryan Fagan/Sporting News)

HAMM: Definitely. He’ll say it, and he has said it. This experience really changed his life. You can’t say that about a lot of things. For a lot of people, it’s when they have their kid or when they get married or things that everybody does. But there are certain things where you see an opportunity to really have a profound effect on someone. I mean, I was a teacher. I see similar things in that, too. You certainly don’t see that a lot in sports agents.

SN: The past two seasons of Mad Men have been set in 1967 and ’68, and it just so happens your Cardinals went to the World Series each of those years. Have you ever tried to get Matthew Weiner (the writer of the show) to mention that?

HAMM: You know, I wish we could. The show is scripted so specifically. There was a dig at the Mets this year, which was good enough for me.

SN: I know there have been other sports references in the show over the years. Have you tried to make any of them St. Louis-centric?

HAMM: Well, we try not to get too meta. The problem is, I’m such an unabashed St. Louis supporter that it might take people out of the story if Don Draper suddenly is a big Stan Musial fan. And again, it’s really not up to me. I don’t have any hand in writing the show. We have our little “in” jokes and the little specific things we try to do.

SN: Here’s what I want to know. How has toasted ravioli (a St. Louis staple) not become a national food?

HAMM: (Laughs) You know, it’s weird. I feel like I’ve had toasted ravioli other places than St. Louis, but they’re called something different. And they’re not as good, either. I don’t know why it’s not, honestly. My friends and I, the other St. Louisans who live in New York or California, we’ll get some mail-ordered from Imo’s or Farotto’s or some place.

SN: Are you friends with any of the current Cardinals?

HAMM: I know a couple of them. I wouldn’t say “friends” but I’m text pals with (David) Freese and a couple of the guys on the team. I met them at various parties after they won the World Series, and when I did the DVD stuff. I wish I could get back to St. Louis and get to more games. With the unbalanced schedule, it’s harder and harder. They only come out one time to (Los Angeles). It’s a drag. I kind of don’t understand the unbalanced schedule, but that’s where we are.

SN: Guess they had to change things up with the Astros moving to the A.L.

SN: Have you had the chance to follow the Cardinals very closely this year?

HAMM: Not as closely as I used to, but I’ve been following them, especially when I’m on the road. Now, everyone’s so jacked in—I’ve got the MLB app on my phone so I can get the scores and highlights and what not. They’ve got a good squad. They’re hitting the hell out of the ball right now, and the pitching’s been good, too. When you get six, seven or eight runs a game, it’s hard not to win. They’re playing good defense and making smart plays. If they can stay healthy and the arms can stay live, they might be in good shape.

SN: I saw you had a second cousin, David Masters, get drafted this year. That had to be pretty cool for the family.

HAMM: Yeah, I saw that, too. That’s got to be my cousin Grace and her husband, Frank, their kid. Frank was a good ballplayer. He played minor-league ball for a bit. A pitcher, I think. And Grace-Marie, my cousin, was a really good athlete, as well. So that’s not surprising. That’s a victory for the gene pool right there. That’s really cool. I hope he makes a splash.